Rhythm Network
by zetagirl123
Summary: Lan and his family are off to Paris! But, of course he has a knack for finding trouble everywhere he goes. Who is this mysterious Phantom R and his powerful navi? Why is Charlie so mean? Is it possible to stop Lan from eating all the eclairs?
1. Chapter 1

Rhythm Network

_A/n I honestly don't know if this is taking place in the game, or the anime. I don't even know if I'm going to be using their English names or Japanese ones. What I do know, though, is that I've been wanting to write this for a long time. So, hopefully you'll enjoy! Reviews, comments, suggestions, and questions welcome; please no flames. Lan's thoughts to Hub, () Hub's thoughts to Lan _

_Co-written by my little sister impulsegirl1._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Megaman or the Rhythm Thief. All rights go to Capcom and Sega._

The day had started normally enough.

"Lan! LAANNN! You're going to be late for school…. _AGAIN!"_

"…"

Usually, Megaman would just keep yelling until he eventually woke up, but today he had a surefire way to wake Lan.

"Dad is coming home this morning, remember? He wanted to talk to you about something."

At this there was movement in Lan's bed, and slowly but surely he opened his big brown eyes.

"Wha- Oh yeah! I almost forgot!"

_You did forget_, Megaman thought, while he watched from the PET as his brother hopped around the room, trying to put his clothes on and make his bed.

There was a sound of someone unlocking the front door, and an "I'm back."

"*gasp* Dad's back!" Lan said as he hurriedly grabbed his backpack and PET, then ran down the stairs.

"Papa!" they shouted in unison.

"Hello, boys." Yuichiro Hikari, who was previously hugging his wife, let go to give his son a hug.

"How have you guys been doing?"

"Fine, great! What did you want to talk to us about?" Lan inquired impatiently.

"Ah, yes, yes. But first things first; Breakfast, the most important meal of the day!"

"I've got it on the table." Haruka said as she walked into the kitchen.

"But…." Lan said, but the grownups had already left, so he begrudgingly followed them.

After breakfast, Lan asked his dad again what he wanted to talk about.

"Oh, right. I wanted to say that the French Branch of Scilab in Paris requested my assistance on some projects they are working on. This would, of course, require me to travel to France."

"Oh" Lan said, slightly (okay, very) saddened by this. His dad had just come home and was now leaving again- all the way to France! But he tried to sound happy.

"That's great dad…"

"So I know your spring break is coming up, so I wanted to ask you if you would mind coming with me."

"What? Go with you?!"

"And your mother of course. That is, if it wouldn't be too much trouble…"

"No, no! Of course we want to go, right Megaman?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Have you told mom yet?" Haruka was washing the dishes, so she did not hear the conversation.

"No, but I'm going to right now. Now you better be on your way to school- look at the time!"

*gasp* "Aww man! Mayl's gonna kill me!"

Lan ran out of the door and out on the sidewalk to see a [very] perturbed Mayl Sakurai.

"You're late. I almost left."

"You know, no one told you to wait for me every day…."

"But I always do. We have so much to talk about!"

_More like she has a lot to talk about and you just listen _said Megaman through their mindlink.

Lan almost started laughing, but contained himself. No need to get Mayl more upset….

What Mayl was talking about, Lan didn't know/care; he was too busy being excited about the trip to Paris!

When they finally reached school, they bell rang and they made it to their seats just in time.

Lan didn't really pay attention in school that day {yeah, what else is new}. It's a good thing Miss Mari didn't ask him any questions!

"Now, class, I hope you enjoy your spring break. As an assignment, I'd like a report on what fun things you did. See you in two weeks!"

After class was over, Lan talked with his friends. Everyone was talking about what they were doing during spring break.

"So, what do you plan on doing Lan?"

"Umm... Well… I think we're going to Paris."

"Cool!" said Tori Froid. {no pun intended}

"What! Paris? Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" Mayl asked.

_I would have, if you'd let me get a word in edgewise, _Lan thought. But instead he just said "I just found out today myself…."

Yai Ayano, the richest kid in school said that she'd been there a million times. But she's like 9! How's that possible? She told Lan to bring her back some _lait__fraise._ When Lan gave her a confused look, she rolled her eyes. 'It means strawberry milk, silly.'

Dex hid his jealousy by saying something like 'France is overrated'.

_Paris! How romantic!_ Mayl thought to herself. But then she stared to wonder what if some French girl steals my Lan's heart away from me! And she put herself in a bad mood the rest of the day.

Anyway, back at home Haruka, who had agreed to the trip right away, was busy packing. They were leaving the next day!

"You could have told me earlier, Yuichiro….."

"I'm sorry, honey I _should_ have told you earlier. Can you ever forgive me?" He emphasized the last part by adding puppy dog eyes in the mix.

"Oh no. That's not going to work," she said, trying to stay upset but failing. Just as Yuchiro expected, she caved. "Well, I suppose I can forgive you; Just this once. You always were spontaneous."

When Lan got home, his mother told him to start packing.

"Hmmmmm….. What to pack, what to pack? "

If Megaman hadn't helped Lan decide what to bring, Lan's suitcase would probably be filled completely with candy, vidgames, and comics. But he did, and that's a good thing. Megaman also downloaded some translating software on the PET, just in case.

After dinner, which was delicious curry, mom said it would be a good idea to go to bed early since they had to get up early the next day. Lan, who is always happy to get extra sleep, readily agreed.

"*yawn* I am so tired…" Lan said sleepily as he put on his pj's.

"Lan, you hardly did anything today!" Megaman said jokingly.

"Well deciding what to pack takes a lot out of guy! Good night, Hub." Lan replied turning off the lights.

Megaman was slightly surprised that Lan used his human name. He looked at his brother, who had fallen asleep before his head hit the pillow, and smiled.

"Good night, Lan."

_Ending Notes: I will update this story in particular at least once a week, maybe more. If you've read my other stories, I'm having a little writer's block on Mega Justice. But the Misadventures of Damian and Bart should be updated sometime this week. Next chapter: Of to France they go!_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N I am so sorry for not updating last week! I had so much homework and my weekend was jam packed. So I just wanted to apologize. Also, sorry for the drastic chance in calling Megaman Rockman. Anyway, on with the story! As always, suggestions and questions welcome; please no flames. And unfortunately I still don't own Megaman or Rhythm Thief. Hub's thoghts{} Lan's thoughts [] Sidenotes()_

"Are you sure you have everything, sweetie?"

"Yes, Mama!"

"O.K. then let's go!"

After the taxi ride to the airport then came the boring wait in line and trip through security. Finally, after all that was done, Lan Hikari and his family were on a plane bound for France.

Lan was informed by Rockman that it would take approximately 12 hours before they reached their destination. It would be boring if I told you _everything _about the trip, but it's not like there's much to tell. Lan was either sleeping, reading comic books, eating, or talking to Rockman.

Finally when the plane landed Lan was the first one off.

"Freedom at last!"

"Not yet I'm afraid," Rock said as they still needed to go through security and the like.

"_Che_! Not fair!"

After that was through, Lan asked Rock what time it was.

"Here in Paris it's 1:30, but back in DenTech city, it's 9:30 PM."

"Wow, everyone back home is getting ready for bed now!"

Leaving the airport, the Hikari family caught a cab to take them to the hotel they were to be staying at.

Although it wasn't a long ride, Lan marveled at the sights of Paris, pulling out his PET so Rock could see as well.

"We definitely have to do some sightseeing later."

Upon arriving at the hotel and unpacking, Lan was eager to do just that.

"I'm sorry, Lan, I have some important calls I need to make. But after that I'm heading over to Scilabs. You can go ahead without me and I'll catch up later." (Yes, apparently it's safe to let an 11 year old wander the streets of a foreign town. Remember in the anime during the N1 GP when he took second place and one that trip and he went by himself? Nuff' said.)

And that's what Lan was about to do when there was a knock on the hotel room door, and Lan wondered who it could be. _Maybe room service?_ He thought to himself.

But when he opened the door, he was surprised to see a kid his age, maybe a little older, wearing a brown cap and brown cloak.

"Lan Hikari?" the kid asked in a not to friendly way.

"Um, yes. Why?"

"My name is Charlie Vergier, official Net Saver," showing a hologram from her PET of the NetSaver insignia for proof. "And I've been requested by Commissioner Vergier to ask you if you would like to accompany me to our Headquarters." The kid, now identified as Charlie said matter-of-factly.

It took Lan a moment to realize what he was being asked, but when it clicked in his brain he readily agreed.

The walk there was awkward, at least for Lan. The reason for this being mostly because this Charlie kid didn't seem very talkative, and whenever Lan tried to strike up a conversation, Charlie would cut it short.

[Well he apparently doesn't feel like talking much.]

{Maybe he's shy around strangers, like Tori-kun?}

[Maybe… ] Lan replied, not really believing that was the case.

[He reminds me of how Enzan used to be.] (Back home, _Injuin Enzan_ sneezed.)

{Hai, Yes. But Enzan is not like that anymore. He was the way he was because he had a hard life, and not many friends. That changed when he met you and the others. Maybe Charlie just needs a friend as well.}

Soon, Charlie announced that they had arrived. The building was much like the one back home, and Lan wondered how many other Net savors there were in France. Walking through a hallway, Lan decided to ask this question. Charlie looked hard at Lan before answering.

"There are only 3 of us; myself, a man by the name of Jean-Francios, and Stephanie. She however, will not be joining us anytime soon, since she is visiting family in London."

Lan got the feeling that Charlie was holding back from telling him something, but he decided against asking about it. Charlie then stopped in front of a door and proceeded to walk inside, so Lan followed.

Inside was a holo-port, a virtual arena used for net battles, among other things. It was one of the biggest ones Lan had ever seen.

"This is the training area, where our Navis work to improve their skills. Hikari, let's Net Battle!"

"Woah, right now?"

"Of course! Jack-in Sportsman, Transmission!"

Lan grinned and followed suit. "Alright, let's go! You ready Rockman?"

"I'm always ready!"

"O.K., Jack-in Rockman, Transmission!"

"Battle routine, set."

"Execute!"

… … …

Somewhere, a man stood over a tombstone. He looked like he hadn't slept or shaved for a long time.

"It's almost time for you to awaken, master. Soon the world will once again be blessed with your presence. You will be _immortal._ All we need-"

He paused taking out a picture of boy with messy brown hair and big hazel eyes.

"Is the key. The ultimate program."

In the distance, someone could be heard yelling.

"_Mon dieu!_ It's gone; Napoleon's grave has been stolen!"

_Ending notes: I'm not sure where exactly DenTech City is located but I assumed it was near Tokyo. So that is what the difference in time zones is based off of. Hooray for my math! Also, I do not speak Japanese or French, so…. Yeah. I just am using either a translating tool or what I already know. After watching MMBN subbed for so long you pick up some things. If I do use other words I will either 1 have them repeat the word in English (even though they don't really) or 2 make a note at the end. Che means _shoot or rats, and Netto tends to use it a lot in the anime. Thanks for reading, bye!


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N If you would like to see Sportsman EXE, which I made up, go to my deviantart of the same name. Link on my profile. I'm not the best artist, and the drawing looks kind of rushed since I didn't have a lot of time. But you get the general idea. __**If you want to redesign him, be my guest. **__(Please do.)Just let me know. If I owned Megaman, there would be an official BN7 and Rockman Online would not have been cancelled. If I owned Rhythm Thief, there would be an anime. I'm not really good at describing battles but, meh…I'll try…._

A heated net battle was currently taking place between two of the most experienced NetAgents; they were also among the youngest.

Since both of the Navis seemed equally matched the battle was dragging on. Now it was only a matter of who got tired or careless first. "Mini Boomers!" the boy shouted, and several small bombs materialized in the small blue navi's arms. Although he had excellent aim, the green navi cut them apart with his swords so that they blew up before they hit him.

"Hah, is that all you got? Boomerang battle chip in!"

The other navi's hand morphed into a boomerang and shot it off in Rockman's direction.

However, he dodged just in time, rolling on the ground, and the boomerang hit the wall and shattered into tiny data pieces. But just as soon as he dodged, Sportsman was on him again, about to smash his gloved fist into the smaller navi. Rockman braced himself for the punch, but it never came.

"Area Steal!" Lan shouted, and Rock was teleported of harm's way. It was a good thing he did, because when Sportsman missed, the area he punched was now a giant crater. "Gold Fist, battle chip, in!" Rockman charged at Sportsman and vice versa, and when their fists met, it caused a giant shockwave that caused both of them to fly backwards crashing into the walls. Both navi's hit points went down and Charlie's cool expression actually turned to panic for a second before going back to normal.

"Sportsman, what are you doing?! Let's get this over with; PROGRAM ADVANCE!"

Lan smiled. "You hear that Rock? Time for a Program Advance!" he said as he pulled three battle chips out of his pocket. Rock staggered to his feet but quickly got his bearings. "Let's do this,"

"Alright. Sword, Long Sword, Wide Sword, battle chips in; Dream Sword!"

Charlie chose a different PA. "Hi-Cannon triple slot-in; Zeta Cannon!"

Rockman's hands turned into a glowing sword, pulsing with energy, while Sportsman's turned into giant cannon. As they both fired of their attacks the whole room, digital as well as the real world, was bathed in a bright light. When it cleared however, both Navis were very bruised, but still standing. After a very suspenseful moment, both Rockman and Sportsman gave out, falling to the ground. A counter appeared on the screen and started counting down. **5….4….**

"Rockman!"

**3….2….**

"No! Sportsman get up, NOW!"

**1.**

_Sportsman logging out_

_Rockman logging out_

Lan was a little upset that he didn't win, but Charlie looked absolutely horrified. Charlie finally turned to face him. "No one…. has ever beaten us before." He stated crossing his arms. "You really are as strong as they say, Hikari."

Lan was silent.

"Come on; we'd better get going." Charlie stated flatly, walking out the door. Lan followed.

After walking some, they entered a large room. Inside was a large conference table with chairs as well as several computers.

A man stood at one looking intently at a computer screen, not even noticing them.

"A-hem." Charlie said announcing their presence.

"Oh Charlie, your back," the man stated, turning to face them. "And you must be Lan Hikari, operator of Rockman EXE. Pleased to meet you," he said walking up and shaking Lan's hand. "I am Commissioner Vierger. I know you have already met my daughter Charlotte."

Lan's eyes got as big as saucers.

"Y-your d-daughter?" Lan finally managed to stammer. All he could think of was his first encounter with Princess Pride. (LOLZ)

"Ah, yes. A real chip of the old block, _non_?

"Oi, Dad! You're embarrassing me! " Charlie said angrily.

"Alright, alright. So Lan, how do like our Paris so far?"

"Oh, It's beautiful. Me and Rockman are going to do some sightseeing later."

"Ah, wonderful! I'm sure Charlie would be more than happy to serve as your guide."

"Dad!"

"Then it's settled. A good place to start is-" but he did not finish for he was interrupted by the computer screen beeping. When he looked at it his face got pale and twisted with anger, like he was an entirely different person.

Charlie, who was previously grumbling about having to be Lan's tour guide, looked at her father with concern. "What is it, Dad?"

"That rhythm thief is at it again!"

"Phantom R? What has he done this time?" Charlie asked, the mention of his name snapping her to attention.

"Wait, who's Phantom R?" In answer to Lan's question Charlie continued.

"He is a most peculiar thief, stealing works of art as well as encrypted data files from the most high security places in all of France, only to return them days later. He even occasionally tells us what his next target is. It's like does it for the thrill of it!"

"Now he has stolen the newest addition to the Louvre, the bracelet of Tiamat, along with all the data files that the Net Police have on it."

"Why do the NetPolice have files on a bracelet?"

"Because, they say that whoever is the owner of the bracelet is given power beyond wildest dreams. Of course this hasn't been proven, but it is always good to be prepared." Charlie answered.

"He is currently trying to delete all the backups." Vierger said.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again; this 'Phantom R' is nothing but of foolish child pulling of ridiculous publicity stunts. He will be brought to justice," the commissioner exclaimed.

"Let's get down to the Louvre!"

...

"Publicity stunt?! Hmph. Looks like the Comish has his pantaloons in a knot again."

A boy with fiery red hair sat on a rooftop near the Louvre, easedroping on a conversation. A sparkling blue bracelet was on his arm, and it had dragons curled around it.

"Still a good thing that I put those bugs in the NetSaver HQ though...But enough of that! I'm officially bored. You almost done deleting the files?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm almost done. Now stop asking!"

_Ending notes: Who is Raphael's navi? Find out next chapter! I promise the picture of his navi will be better than Sportsman. (Also, when Charlie says that she has never been beaten, it's true. She has never actually fought Phantom R. Yet.) Thanks to everyone for the reviews and follows!_


	4. Chapter 4

_My life is crazy right now. So if I don't update one week, that's why. But guess what? I finally redrew Sportsman exe! Check my Deviantart. Also, I know what I want Phantom R's navi to look like, and I've drawn up potential navi symbols as well. (If you have a good idea for a symbol, let me know.) I just haven't had time to draw it yet. So hopefully that drawing will be posted soon…_

"I'll never finish if you keep asking!" said a very annoyed navi.

"Ok, ok, sheeesh."

Suddenly, Fondue started barking.

"What is it boy?" His question was answered when sirens were heard, and soon police as well as Net Police cars surrounded the entire Louvre.

"Men, fan out and find the rhythm thief!" commissioner Vierger ordered.

"Oh, come on! Rhapsody, please tell me your done?"

"99.8, 99.9, 100%! The files have been deleted," she replied proudly.

"O.k. jack-out!"

But just as she was about do that, two other navis jacked in to the Lourve's sever. One was an annoyingly familiar face to the duo, while the other was someone new.

"Miss Vierger, we've located Phantom R; he's on the roof near the pyramid," the annoyingly familiar one said before turning his attention to the girl navi.

"Rhapsody exe, you're under arrest," Sportsman said with force, pointing one of his arm mounted swords at her.

Rhapsody let out a small giggle. "As if! Don't you get tired of saying that?"

Sportsman frowned at the smaller navi, clearly unimpressed by her witty remarks.

"Hey, who's your friend?" she asked.

"He is Rockman exe, and today we put an end to your purloining!" he answered.

REALWORLDREALWORLDREALWORLDREALWORLDREALWORLDREALWORLD

"Miss Vierger, we've located Phantom R; he's on the roof near the pyramid."

"Acknowledged. Come on, Hikari. Let's go!"

"Shouldn't we tell the others?"

"No! We can take down Phantom R ourselves! That is of course unless you don't think you're strong enough."

Lan thought for a moment, and then nodded. "O.k. Let's go!"

After running up the stairs to get to the roof, the two were met by a boy slightly older than them with red hair. (There also was a dog.)

"Hey kids! Don't mind me; I was just about to leave."

Charlie's face flushed with anger. "Who are you calling a kid? And no, you're not going anywhere, you rhythm thief!"

Phantom R took the moment to acknowledge that Charlie had a friend with her.

"Who's your new friend?" he asked, eyeing Lan closely.

"He is Lan Hikari, and together we will stop you.

Phantom R looked at them for a second before letting out a chuckle.

"What's so funny?!" Lan demanded.

"LAN? O.k. then Local Access Network and Charlie, you guys want to try to take me down? Battle routine, set!"

"Execute!"

NETNETNETNETNETNETNETNETNET  
Rockman started of the battle with his standard Rock buster. (Lan and Rock's strategy was to test out their enemy to see there move before using any high power chips.)

Rhapsody exe was too fast and dodged every attack. "Gotta be a little quicker than that, blue boy," she told him, laughing.

Since she was distracted, Sportsman seized the opportunity to charge at her. She turned around and noticed him coming, and although she moved out of the way, one of Sportsman's swords still grazed her side, and a small stream of data started trickling out of her wound.

"Ow! Hey, that hurts! Didn't anyone ever tell you boys that it's nice to swing swords or aim cannons at girls? Well allow me to school you!" she exclaimed. She got the same look in her eyes that Roll gets when she's angry, and Rock knew they were in trouble.

"Rhythm Flash!" The whole room was surrounded in a bright light, and both were momentarily blinded.

When their eyesight recovered, it was met with Rhapsody smiling.

"Peeka-boo." And then her fist contacted with his Rock's face. Before Sportsman could react, she sent a blast of energy from the music notes on her arm that sent him flying.

"Uh, Lan? A little help here please!"

"Don't worry, I gotcha covered." Lan and Charlie both nodded at each other.

"Sword, Wide Sword, Long sword, battle chips in. Program Advance!" They said in unison.

Like earlier, the whole server was covered in a bright light, and even though there was no net area, the light emanating from there PET's was very bright. Bright enough for the Net Police to notice.

When the light cleared, Rhapsody not only appeared to be unscathed, but also had a new appearance entirely. She was now black and purple and her demeanor seemed much darker than before.

"You still haven't learned your lesson? *sigh* Boys are so dumb."

"Hey!" Phantom R said, offended by that remark. But then he noticed the Net Police were making their way over to the building they were on. "Rhap, I think we need to _wrap_ this up!" (O.k. that was so lame that I couldn't resist XD)

Rhapsody smiled. "Rave Rage!"

The net began to quake, and out of it emerged hordes of weird viruses. They were way too many for the duo to take, and they began taking serious damage.

Lan and Charlie were busy trying to overcome the viruses, and when they looked up a few seconds later, Phantom R, Rhapsody, and the dog were gone, and the viruses disappeared as well.

"Well that was…" Lan struggled to think of a word to describe whatever the heck it was that just happened.

"Very interesting." Charlie finished.

_Ending notes: Before you're all like 'Wait why is Phantom R's navi a girl?' there are two reasons for this. The most important reason I can't tell because it would be spoilers for the story. But it is sad. The second reason is because there is a serious lack of girls in the Battle Network. Also I am totally going to put some Double Soul action in this. My plans to expound on this story include a definite prequel, a few one-shots on various things, and maybe a sequel. Maybe. _

_Next Chapter: While Charlie and Lan have to fill out boring reports at HQ about what just happened, maybe we'll get to take a look at the life of the mysterious Phantom R. Why did Rhapsody change in appearance? Was it a style change, dark chip, or possibly, something else?_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N I haven't given Fondue or Rockman many lines, and that is very bad. Please forgive me! Sportsman doesn't have many lines either, but I imagine him as quiet and withdrawn, so that's the reason behind that._

_No, I still don't own the characters! T.T_

In the net Rockman sat thinking. Lan had only been in Paris a few hours and already in trouble. Well, not directly, but Charlie and himself really should have told someone about the whereabouts of Phantom R. And now they were stuck in an office, filling out the long reports that Net savers had to after every single mission. _Every. Single. One._

Lan loved being a Net saver, but Rock knew this was by far Lan's least favorite things about it. Charlie seemed even more upset though. Since they met her (which was only a few hours ago), Charlie had seemed like she had something to prove; to everyone, but her father especially. And when she failed to arrest Phantom R… the look of dejection on her face when her dad found out. He had told Charlie and Lan to go back to HQ while he and the others investigated further. And then there was Rhapsody. Rock wasn't really sure of what to think of her. She didn't really seem like the evil type; then again, neither did this 'Phantom R'. Maybe it was just as the Commissioner had said. He was just a kid stealing for attention. But that sure seemed like a lot of trouble to go through if it were just that. It had to be something more, he just knew it. [Because of his lack of character development] Rock decided to talk to [the neglected by the author] Sportsman.

Sportsman turned to see who had jacked-in (or plugged-in, it depends on what you're watching) to his PET.

"Oh, it's you." It was more of an acknowledgment of his presence than a greeting. "What do you want?"

"Well, I was just thinking about earlier. When we fought Rhapsody, she not only was unharmed by the PA, but also turned into some sort of darker version of herself."

"Yeah, she does that. No idea how, but she does. A scan indicates that her hit points as well as her attack are boosted to unprecedented levels when in that form; a level that any normal navi can't achieve."

"Hmm… Being a thief, there's no telling what kind of upgrades or programs Phantom R has gotten his hands onto. Do you know of any programs that have that much power?"

"I've never heard of such a program except maybe the extra code, and there's no way it was that. There was this navi though… But it couldn't be; he was deleted a long time ago."

Sportsman looked sadly at the ground as he said this. Or at least Rockman _thought_ he saw some sort of change in the emotionless navi's face.

"What happened?" he asked, encouraging Sportsman to go on with the story.

"It was nothing. A while ago, before Phantom R, there was once a navi created at SciLabs. He went rouge and I deleted him. That was it." Rock could see that he wasn't getting the whole story. But he decided not to press the matter further, at least, not now.

He jacked-out back into his own PET. Lan was still at the table, bored out of his mind.

Suddenly Charlie stood up.

"Ugh, I absolutely hate these things," she said holding up the papers in disgust before dropping them. "If I have to spend another minute here I'll go mad!"

Lan looked at her quizzically. "But your dad said-"

"I'm leaving and whether or not you follow is of no consequence to me," she said nonchalantly, before turning and walking out.

Lan and Rock exchanged glances before also leaving.

As they were about to exit the building, a man with a crooked smile emerged from the shadows.

Charlie's eyes grew wide when she saw him. "Jean-François! Where on earth have you been?!" she demanded.

The man smirked. "Haha, let's not get fired up over nothing young one…"

"Over nothing? Over nothing?! I would say that disappearing for almost a month is very much a something!"

"If you must know, I've been on a trip taking care of some very important business. I also met up with some old friends."

Charlie didn't seem to buy it, regarding him suspiciously. Jean-François, however, disregarded this, instead walking up to Lan.

"Ah. You must be Lan Hikari. I am Jean-François which I'm sure you by now know. This is my navi-," there was a dramatic pause as he pulled out his PET. "-Nightmare EXE."

The navi nodded her head in greeting. Suddenly she disappeared. Not like the 'oh let me just turn my head around for a second for no good reason' and then you turn back around and it's gone type of way. She literally vanished. She then appeared behind Rockman.

"Boo."

Rockman was scared half to deletion. He tried to play his fear off though, turning around to face her. Her slightly unsettling appearance didn't help at all. "I'm Rockman; nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too!" she said in a cheerful tone before disappearing again and reappearing within her own PET.

Lan was a little freaked out by this guy but shook his hand anyway. He didn't want to be rude.

"Umm… Nice to meet you."

"Oh, but the pleasure is all mine. Now, however, I must go. Until we meet again," he said as he walked back into the shadows, deeper into the building.

After that encounter the two continued out of the building and around the corner.

"So that Jean-François guy was missing for a while?"

"Yes. We tried contacting him but there was no reply. His job as a teacher in the convent had no clues either. And this isn't the first time he's disappeared like that." Charlie looked thoughtful for a moment.

"You don't trust him?"

"I- Well; Of course I do. He has fought to protect the Net for even longer than I have and he has a good report with all the children at the convent. I have no reason to distrust him." That was apparently the end of the discussion.

"So where are we going anyway?"

They stopped walking. "I don't know; you were the one that said you wanted to go sightseeing. Where do _you _want to go?"

The place they had stopped in front of happened to be a bakery filled with all sort of delicious looking pastries and treats.

Five minutes later, they were walking again, hands full of sweets. They spent the next few hours walking around Paris. (Lan had already contacted his parents already so they wouldn't be worried.) Soon, Lan was down to his last donut, and he realized it was getting pretty late. The two came up to a beautiful river, and the way the full moon reflected off the water was simply breathtaking. Both were enjoying the beauty in silence, and Lan put his hand up to his mouth to eat his last donut. But nothing was there! Lan eyes grew large in shock and he looked down at his feet. There was a dog there, enjoying the remains of Lan's precious donut. An anger vein appeared on Lan's head. "Hey that was my donut!" he yelled at the dog. The dog looked up at whimpered; he actually looked repentant. "Grrr… all right I forgive you; but no more stealing donuts!"

The dog perked up and barked in response, almost as if he were saying "Okay!"

Across the street a red haired boy stood tapping his foot on the ground impatiently. It had a good beat to it though. "Fondue! Come on boy, we gotta go!"

The dog gave Lan a quick lick on the hand before running back to his owner.

"Lan, you should have seen the look on your face when that dog took your donut," Rock said before starting to laugh. Charlie started to laugh as well, and even Sportsman cracked a small smile. At first Lan found the situation anything but humorous but soon was laughing as well.

…

"Fondue, what were you doing over there, boy?" the boy said as he patted his dog on the head. "Come on we have to go."

"Yeah, don't wanna be late meeting Raph's new girlfriend!"

"She is _not_ my girlfriend!"

"Raph's got a girlfriend! Raph's got a girlfriend!" Rhapsody sang.

"Ugh, whatever!" the boy said continuing on his way.

_Ending Notes: I would just like to point out that SciLabs is connected to NS HQ. Also, I'm almost finished with Rhapsody, and as soon as I finish her I'll start on Nightmare. Then I'll draw Rhapsody's darker form. I'm not usually good at describing people /things without interrupting the flow of the story so that's why I usually just draw them. In regards to Lan's other friends they should be in one way or a another in the next chapters. Any questions or suggestions are welcome! P.S. The line "You scared me half to deletion" is from Battle Network 2. I don't know why, but I thought it was so funny and adorable. ^.^_

_Next Chapter: I honestly don't know. I have a general idea of where this is going, but I'm kinda making this up as I go along... _


	6. Chapter 6

_Sorry for the long wait for this chapter. My computers not booting up for some reason, so I obviously have no access to any of my personal files. That includes the other chapters I was working on. So I've been using my sister's computer, but between her and my mom, I don't really have that much time. Sorry, but I don't think regular updates will start again until my computer gets fixed._

A young boy whistled as he walked down the street, accompanied by a small dog. He continued on until he reached a small but beautiful park. On one of the benches, a girl about his age sat turned away from him. He quietly took a seat next to her, and she turned his way.

"Raphael!" she said as she warmly embraced him.

"Hey Marie."The boy said as she finally released him from her bear hug. "Any news on Jean-François?"

"Yes, actually. He arrived back sometime yesterday and resumed our class's studies this morning. But guess what?" she asked enthusiastically. Raphael was about to ask what, but she cut him off. "He says he may now who my mother is!"

"Whoa, really? That's great, I'm so happy for you."

"I know he hasn't told me details yet but I'm excited, and nervous." Marie looked down. So many thoughts were going through Marie's mind. What if her mother didn't recognize her, what if she made her mother angry? There obviously was a reason why she left her in the first place. What if… What if her mom didn't… love her?

Raphael, almost as if sensing her thoughts, laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She looked up and met his gaze. Even though he didn't say it out loud, his eyes told her not to worry. They talked a while more, and then Marie had to go. They bid each other farewell for the night.

In her room, Marie's thought about how fortunate she was to have such a good friend as Raphael. But perhaps they were something more than that. Maybe someday…

"_My balloon! My balloon!" the girl wailed._

"_There, there don't cry." I stood upright as I began to play my violin to sooth the girl. She immediately stopped crying, clapping with delight. As I finished my song, a boy I had never seen before appeared. _

"_Here you go." He said as he handed the girl her balloon. "Merci!" the girl said as she ran away. The boy and I smiled at each other, feeling accomplished now that the girl was happy. Then police started after the boy before I could get his name. "Aww man! Don't these guys ever give up?" And that was the last time I saw him, though I didn't forget him. _

_A few days later, something strange happened. I was out taking a walk after school, and I had my violin as always. I never leave anywhere without, it being my most precious possession. All of sudden, these men appeared, dressed like people out of some history movie. One of them set their sights on my violin. _

"_There it is!" he yelled, and I took off running before he finished. I heard their footsteps behind me; I knew they were gaining but I dared not steal a glance behind me. Seriously, where are all the police when you need them? I thought to myself. Then I saw a figure on the bridge. It was the same boy I had seen the week before! _

"_Please… Help me!" I cried out in desperation and I ran behind him. In retrospect, it probably wasn't very nice to expect a total stranger to protect me, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Anyway I'd seen this guy in action, and he looked like he could take care of himself. _

"_Who are you guys? Napoleon rejects?" In answer one stepped forward. "We just want the girl. Hand her over and they'll be no trouble to you, boy." He said coldly._

"_Hah, fat chance!" He turned and smiled at me. Then they lunged at us, but the boy dodged with me in tow. "Whatever happened to chivalry? Let's go!" he grinned as he got into a battle stance. I stood in awe as he fought off the men. I'd never seen someone so agile in my life. He was much stronger than he looked too, but despite that fact, it was obvious he was fighting a battle he couldn't win. He must have realized this but he didn't seem worried. As he doge a guy's fist, he suddenly grabbed me, and we were bounding the tops of boats like we were flying. _

_In red in blue, he was my Superman, and I-_

_I had fallen in love._

_A/N Okay, just to clear a few things up:_

_I know that JeanF didn't disappear in the game, but I'm changing a few things in order to make the story work._

_I think that Marie got rescued the same day as the balloon incident, but whatever._

_All the main characters from RT are slightly younger, and that's because it would be really weird for Lan who's like 11, to be hanging out with Charlie who's official age is 17. I think… And it would be weird for Charlie to fight Raphael, who's 18. And so on._

_Napoleon didn't appear when he was supposed to in the game because it wouldn't make sense. Don't worry; you'll understand what I mean later._

_Anyway thanks for reading; keep the suggestions, reviews, questions, and corrections coming! _


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